Greg was one of the very best. As a comedy fan, there is hardly a bigger loss.

Goodbye, Greg Giraldo. You are missed.

Giraldo, a Harvard-educated lawyer before becoming a stand-up comic, toiled away in several short-lived projects in the '90s, including an ABC sitcom called Common Law and a Comedy Central pilot, The Greg Giraldo Show, that never made it to series. In the 2000s, Giraldo really started to blow up thanks to appearances onThe Howard Stern Show and (especially) his brilliant sets on the Comedy Central Roasts, on which he was consistently the best comic on stage.

Giraldo was also one of the judges on Last Comic Standing on NBC, where he was the single best reason to tune in. He always had something perceptive to say about comedy and was funnier than any contestant to come through that show.

Giraldo's debut stand-up album, 2006's Good Day to Cross a River, remains one of the best comedy albums of the 2000s. His follow-up album, Midlife Vices, was also brilliant.